Chair/General Manager s Message

Transcription

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2 Chair/Geeral Maager s Message Peter Krause Chair Coservatio Otario is pleased to recogize ad celebrate the sigificat achievemets of Richard D. Huter who retired as Geeral Maager of the orgaizatio i mid Durig his six year term, Dick Huter positioed the etwork that comprises Otario s 36 Coservatio Authorities uder oe collective brad Natural Champios, ad he built strog workig relatioships with importat parters such as the provice, muicipal ad agricultural sectors, evirometal agecies, stewardship groups ad may others. Mr. Huter was very effective i providig tools ad forums for Coservatio Authorities so that they could come together ad discuss their cocers ad issues aroud importat key priorities for their busiess. Ad he brought may ew parters to those tables. As a result, Coservatio Authorities ejoy a ehaced profile withi the coservatio commuity ad are i a good positio to quickly respod to opportuities ad issues as they arise. Coservatio Otario s ew Geeral Maager is Do Pearso, former CAO of Perth Couty ad prior to that, Geeral Maager of the Upper Thames River Coservatio Authority for 22 years. Mr. Pearso s leadership of the Coservatio Otario team comes at a importat time as Coservatio Authorities embark o their sigificat role i source water protectio plaig. His persoal commitmet to facilitatig a watershed approach by all stakeholders will esure that we cotiue to make importat progress i Otario s watersheds. Do Pearso Geeral Maager I am very happy to be joiig the Coservatio Otario team as Geeral Maager ad I look forward to agai workig with all the Coservatio Authorities (CAs). Throughout 2005, Coservatio Otario s priorities revolved aroud watershed stewardship, geeric regulatios ad source water protectio. Coservatio Otario cotiued to work with CA staff to promote ad ehace the CAs log stadig, very successful stewardship programs delivered throughout watersheds i Otario. As well, the Stewardship Network of Otario (SNO) fialized ad adopted the Stewardship Strategy for Otario which promotes collaboratio amog the various stewardship orgaizatios i order to deliver streamlied programs to ladowers. Coservatio Otario cotiued to play a importat role i SNO. Coservatio Otario also assisted the Coservatio Authorities to develop ad work towards fializig Otario Regulatio 97/04 a regulatio for the Developmet, Iterferece with Wetlads & Alteratios to Shorelies ad Watercourses. Chages were made by the Otario govermet to the legislatio that govers activities aroud hazardous areas ad importat atural features i order to protect people ad property from floodig ad erosio. As well, the provice s source water protectio iitiative cotiued to have a sigificat impact o all Coservatio Authorities busiess. Like the CAs, Coservatio Otario has had to build up its expertise i order to support this importat iitiative ad has hired full time techical ad commuicatios staff. Workig with the provice, CO ad the CAs have provided iput to techical guidelies that will gover SWP plaig was a importat year as well, because the provice itroduced the ew proposed Clea Water Act legislatio that will provide the framework for source water protectio plaig ad help to establish Otario as a leader i the delivery of safe drikig water. As we move ito 2006, the role of the Coservatio Authorities will be to cotiue to assist the provice i buildig the sciece for effective source water protectio ad to help gather together the local parters who will be ivolved i mappig out each watershed s source water protectio pla. People i commuities across Otario s watersheds will eed to work together to develop ad implemet plas to protect their drikig water sources esurig a safe ad pletiful supply ow ad i the future Fiacial Iformatio Reveues Govermet Grats $477,384 A.D. Latorell $341,807 Membership Fees $548,024 Other $104,805 Source Water Protectio $17,078,656 Expeditures Special Projects $583,221 Reserves $23,972 A.D. Latorell $306,882 Operatig $557,945 Source Water Protectio $17,078,655 Total Reveue/Reserves $18,550,676 Total Expeditures $18,550,676

3 Priorities Source Water Protectio Plaig I 2005, Coservatio Otario focused o source water protectio program developmet work. Accomplishmets iclude: Negotiatio of two fudig agreemets totalig $27M CO hired additioal techical ad commuicatios staff to provide expertise ad support CAs i source water protectio plaig Formatio of CA SWP core teams Developmet of CA iformatio maagemet systems CO hosted 11 SWP traiig workshops for CA staff Developmet of SWP commuicatio ad techical guidace documets As well, Coservatio Otario ad CA staff participated o umerous provicial committees ad workig groups i the developmet of the techical guidace documets ad cotiued to advocate for sustaiable fudig for source water protectio plaig. At the ed of 2005, the provicial govermet itroduced the Clea Water Act which addresses how we ca best protect the sources of our drikig water i Otario. I cojuctio with the CAs, Coservatio Otario provided commets o the proposed legislatio. Watershed Stewardship Coservatio Otario has bee workig towards ehacig ad promotig Coservatio Authority efforts i private lad extesio or coservatio services uder the umbrella of watershed stewardship. Watershed stewardship services will be a very importat compoet of source water protectio implemetatio Aual Report o Coservatio Authorities Watershed Stewardship Services Coservatio Otario s secod aual CA Watershed Stewardship Services report was released at the 2005 A.D. Latorell Symposium. This report provides a outlie of watershed stewardship services ad programs curretly offered by Coservatio Authorities across the provice i 2004 ad Statistics are provided o programs focused o improvig water quality, forestry, rehabilitatio ad restoratio as well as Coservatio Authority parterships with idividuals ad agecies. Watershed Stewardship Parterships Coservatio Otario was ivolved i a umber of parterships o behalf of Coservatio Authorities with agecies such as the Otario Soil ad Crop Improvemet Associatio, Trees Otario Foudatio ad the Caadia Pork Coucil. Stewardship Network of Otario (Stewardship Strategy for Otario) The stewardship field i Otario has become more crowded as additioal agecies ad orgaizatios provide some type of watershed stewardship service to farmers as well as other rural ad urba ladowers. As a result there are gaps ad overlays amog the differet programs ad services beig offered. To stregthe the collective efforts of these various stewardship iitiatives, Coservatio Otario cotiued to work with a umber of agecies o the fializatio of the Stewardship Strategy for Otario. The agecies ivolved i the iitial developmet of this strategy icluded: Coservatio Otario, Otario Stewardship, Wildlife Habitat Caada, Wetlad Habitat Fud, Ducks Ulimited Caada, Otario Miistry of Natural Resources, Fisheries ad Oceas Caada ad the Otario Miistry of Agriculture, Food ad Rural Affairs. This etwork also worked o protocols for establishig membership, structure ad goverace ad operatioal cosideratios. A Steerig Group was established to begi developig a Rural No-farm Ladower s Plaig Tool, modeled after the Otario Farm Evirometal Coalitio s Evirometal Farm Pla.

4 Chair/Geeral Maager s Message Coservatio Otario is pleased to recogize ad celebrate the sigificat achievemets of Richard D. Huter who retired as Geeral Maager of the orgaizatio i mid Durig his six year term, Dick Huter positioed the etwork that comprises Otario s 36 Coservatio Authorities uder oe collective brad Natural Champios, ad he built strog workig relatioships with importat parters such as the provice, muicipal ad Peter Krause agricultural sectors, evirometal agecies, stewardship groups ad may others. Chair Mr. Huter was very effective i providig tools ad forums for Coservatio Authorities so that they could come together ad discuss their cocers ad issues aroud importat key priorities for their busiess. Ad he brought may ew parters to those tables. As a result, Coservatio Authorities ejoy a ehaced profile withi the coservatio commuity ad are i a good positio to quickly respod to opportuities ad issues as they arise. Coservatio Otario s ew Geeral Maager is Do Pearso, former CAO of Perth Couty ad prior to that, Geeral Maager of the Upper Thames River Coservatio Authority for 22 years. Mr. Pearso s leadership of the Coservatio Otario team comes at a importat time as Coservatio Authorities embark o their sigificat role i source water protectio plaig. His persoal commitmet to facilitatig a watershed approach by all stakeholders will esure that we cotiue to make importat progress i Otario s watersheds. Priorities I am very happy to be joiig the Coservatio Otario team as Geeral Maager ad I look forward to agai workig with all the Coservatio Authorities (CAs). Throughout 2005, Coservatio Otario s priorities revolved aroud watershed stewardship, geeric regulatios ad source water protectio. Coservatio Otario cotiued to work with CA staff to promote ad ehace the CAs log stadig, very successful stewardship programs Do Pearso delivered throughout watersheds i Otario. As well, the Stewardship Geeral Maager Network of Otario (SNO) fialized ad adopted the Stewardship Strategy for Otario which promotes collaboratio amog the various stewardship orgaizatios i order to deliver streamlied programs to ladowers. Coservatio Otario cotiued to play a importat role i SNO. Coservatio Otario also assisted the Coservatio Authorities to develop ad work towards fializig Otario Regulatio 97/04 a regulatio for the Developmet, Iterferece with Wetlads & Alteratios to Shorelies ad Watercourses. Chages were made by the Otario govermet to the legislatio that govers activities aroud hazardous areas ad importat atural features i order to protect people ad property from floodig ad erosio. As well, the provice s source water protectio iitiative cotiued to have a sigificat impact o all Coservatio Authorities busiess. Like the CAs, Coservatio Otario has had to build up its expertise i order to support this importat iitiative ad has hired full time techical ad commuicatios staff. Workig with the provice, CO ad the CAs have provided iput to techical guidelies that will gover SWP plaig was a importat year as well, because the provice itroduced the ew proposed Clea Water Act legislatio that will provide the framework for source water protectio plaig ad help to establish Otario as a leader i the delivery of safe drikig water. As we move ito 2006, the role of the Coservatio Authorities will be to cotiue to assist the provice i buildig the sciece for effective source water protectio ad to help gather together the local parters who will be ivolved i mappig out each watershed s source water protectio pla. People i commuities across Otario s watersheds will eed to work together to develop ad implemet plas to protect their drikig water sources esurig a safe ad pletiful supply ow ad i the future Fiacial Iformatio Reveues Expeditures Special Projects $583,221 Govermet Grats $477,384 A.D. Latorell $341,807 Source Water Protectio $17,078,656 Reserves $23,972 Membership Fees $548,024 A.D. Latorell $306,882 Other $104,805 Operatig $557,945 Total Reveue/Reserves $18,550,676 Total Expeditures $18,550,676 Source Water Protectio $17,078,655 Source Water Protectio Plaig I 2005, Coservatio Otario focused o source water protectio program developmet work. Accomplishmets iclude: Negotiatio of two fudig agreemets totalig $27M CO hired additioal techical ad commuicatios staff to provide expertise ad support CAs i source water protectio plaig Formatio of CA SWP core teams Developmet of CA iformatio maagemet systems CO hosted 11 SWP traiig workshops for CA staff Developmet of SWP commuicatio ad techical guidace documets As well, Coservatio Otario ad CA staff participated o umerous provicial committees ad workig groups i the developmet of the techical guidace documets ad cotiued to advocate for sustaiable fudig for source water protectio plaig. At the ed of 2005, the provicial govermet itroduced the Clea Water Act which addresses how we ca best protect the sources of our drikig water i Otario. I cojuctio with the CAs, Coservatio Otario provided commets o the proposed legislatio. Watershed Stewardship Coservatio Otario has bee workig towards ehacig ad promotig Coservatio Authority efforts i private lad extesio or coservatio services uder the umbrella of watershed stewardship. Watershed stewardship services will be a very importat compoet of source water protectio implemetatio. Parterships Parterig with the Rural ad Muicipal Sector 2005 Aual Report o Coservatio Authorities Watershed Stewardship Services Coservatio Otario s secod aual CA Watershed Stewardship Services report was released at the 2005 A.D. Latorell Symposium. This report provides a outlie of watershed stewardship services ad programs curretly offered by Coservatio Authorities across the provice i 2004 ad Statistics are provided o programs focused o improvig water quality, forestry, rehabilitatio ad restoratio as well as Coservatio Authority parterships with idividuals ad agecies. Maagig Otario s resources is best accomplished i partership with local ladowers, muicipalities ad other stakeholders. Coservatio Otario cotiued to support this effort at the provicial level by stregtheig provicial relatioships with muicipal, rural ad agricultural orgaizatios ad agecies. Coservatio Otario cotiued to participate as a member with several importat rural, agricultural ad muicipal associatios. I 2005, CO joied the Agricultural Adaptatio Coucil as a ew member. Watershed Stewardship Parterships Coservatio Otario was ivolved i a umber of parterships o behalf of Coservatio Authorities with agecies such as the Otario Soil ad Crop Improvemet Associatio, Trees Otario Foudatio ad the Caadia Pork Coucil. Stewardship Network of Otario (Stewardship Strategy for Otario) The stewardship field i Otario has become more crowded as additioal agecies ad orgaizatios provide some type of watershed stewardship service to farmers as well as other rural ad urba ladowers. As a result there are gaps ad overlays amog the differet programs ad services beig offered. To stregthe the collective efforts of these various stewardship iitiatives, Coservatio Otario cotiued to work with a umber of agecies o the fializatio of the Stewardship Strategy for Otario. The agecies ivolved i the iitial developmet of this strategy icluded: Coservatio Otario, Otario Stewardship, Wildlife Habitat Caada, Wetlad Habitat Fud, Ducks Ulimited Caada, Otario Miistry of Natural Resources, Fisheries ad Oceas Caada ad the Otario Miistry of Agriculture, Food ad Rural Affairs. This etwork also worked o protocols for establishig membership, structure ad goverace ad operatioal cosideratios. A Steerig Group was established to begi developig a Rural No-farm Ladower s Plaig Tool, modeled after the Otario Farm Evirometal Coalitio s Evirometal Farm Pla. Greecover Program The Greecover Caada program supports projects that ehace biodiversity, prevet wid ad water erosio of farmlad ad improve the quality ad quatity of surface ad groudwater. Through a agreemet with the Otario Soil ad Crop Improvemet Associatio (OSCIA), Coservatio Authorities were desigated as the primary delivery agets to provide techical advice, desig services ad assistace for eligible producers to implemet Greecover Caada projects such as buffer strips, livestock fecig alog watercourses, erosio cotrol ad shelterbelt platigs OSCIA has budgeted up to $1 millio dollars for approximately 2,000 opportuities to deliver these services ad be compesated by OSCIA. Biodiversity Strategy The itet of the provicial govermet s Biodiversity Strategy is to coserve Otario s biodiversity ad ecourage sustaiable use of the provice s biological resources. Alog with a umber of Coservatio Authority represetatives, Coservatio Otario participated i the developmet of the strategy which was lauched i Coservatio Otario participates as a member of the Otario Biodiversity Coucil. Natural Spaces The purpose of the Natural Spaces program is to idetify a ecologically sustaiable atural heritage system for Souther Otario i order to focus o strategic opportuities for restoratio, critical areas securemet ad biodiversity coservatio. This program will also provide advice ad iformatio for lad use plaig ad resource maagemet decisiomakig i order to esure sustaiable developmet. Coservatio Otario is a member of the Natural Spaces Leadership Alliace ad their goal is to advise the Miister of Natural Resources, participate i the developmet of maagemet frameworks, promote the program, share iformatio ad moitor progress. This madate will ru for two years. I 2005, the Alliace worked o stakeholder egagemet, provided techical staff assistace ad promoted the atural heritage system framework. Coservatio Otario worked with other Alliace parters to develop criteria for idetificatio of targets for the program. Trees Otario Foudatio Through a agreemet with Trees Otario Foudatio, may Coservatio Authorities were local program delivery agecies for the Forest 2020 Platatio Demostratio ad Assessmet Iitiative. Forest 2020 provided fuds for tree platig, site preparatio, tree tedig, platatio assessmet ad reportig. Coservatio Authorities worked with private ad public ladowers o 123 sites i 2005 to plat a total of 1,416 acres of trees. Caadia Pork Coucil Coservatio Otario, the Grad River Coservatio Authority, ad the Caadia Pork Coucil are workig i partership to deliver a two-year project demostratig the beefits of establishig tree shelterbelts by the Otario pork producers. Aquatic Resource Maagemet Advisory Committee (ARMAC) Coservatio Otario participates o this committee which replaces the Fish Habitat Advisory Committee (FHAG). The Aquatic Resource Maagemet Advisory Committee (ARMAC) is a forum for various levels of govermet that is desiged to ehace federal/provicial cooperatio ad to facilitate a multi-agecy approach o fish habitat ad related aquatic resource maagemet issues. Members provide advice ad recommedatios to the Caada-Otario Fisheries Advisory Group (CONFAB) ad other maagemet bodies. CONFAB admiisters the Caada/Otario Fisheries Agreemet (COFA). Coservatio Otario participates i ARMAC s Regulatory Process Maagemet, Watershed Maagemet ad Stewardship workig groups.

5 Policy ad Plaig Otario Regulatio 97/04 Otario Regulatio 97/04 (Developmet, Iterferece with Wetlads & Alteratios to Shorelies ad Watercourses) was siged ad approved by the provice s Lt. Goveror o April 14, I 2005, the Guidelies Documets (CO ad MNR, 2005) were siged by the Deputy Miister of Natural Resources ad the Chair of Coservatio Otario. These documets icluded: Guidelies for Developig Schedules of Regulated Areas, Approvals Process Documet, ad Hearigs Guidelies. Delegates at the A.D. Latorell Coservatio Symposium were able to review a case study ad discuss challeges ad questios about the process i a special sessio desiged about the Otario Regulatio 97/04. Throughout 2005, Coservatio Authorities carried out mappig ad held stakeholder cosultatios. Coservatio Otario was able to assist by providig a iteral website with all the iformatio ad products easily available to Coservatio Authority staff. At the ed of 2005, 15 Coservatio Authorities received edorsemet for Otario Regulatio 97/04 from Coservatio Otario s Peer Review Committee. Additioal presetatios were scheduled to go forward i The date for completio is April Aual Effectiveess Moitorig Report Class EA Each year, Coservatio Otario submits to the Otario Miistry of the Eviromet a Aual Effectiveess Moitorig Report for the Class Evirometal Assessmet for Remedial Flood ad Erosio Cotrol Projects. The aual report fulfills requiremets to moitor the effectiveess of the Class EA process ad to esure soud evirometal plaig. Coservatio Otario s 2005 aual report addresses those projects iitiated, plaed ad/or implemeted as of December Five ew projects were iitiated i Research Permit to Take Water Pilot Projects Through a partership with Coservatio Otario, the Otario Miistry of the Eviromet ad Fisheries ad Oceas Caada, three pilot projects were carried out by the Cataraqui Regio, Grad River ad Log Poit Regio Coservatio Authorities. These were completed i 2005 ad results were shared with stakeholders. The pilots were desiged to improve the ability of water maagers to assess the potetial impacts of water takigs o our water resources. The three Coservatio Authorities were selected because they represet a rage of watershed coditios ad types of water takig permits across souther Otario. Each of the studies examied a umber of diagostic tools, field data collectio methods, ad a rage of methods to assess water takig effects ad to defie istream flow thresholds. They cocluded that the establishmet of istream flows should begi with a thorough uderstadig of the maagemet objectives for the watershed, icludig fish ad wildlife, water quality ad quatity, chael morphology, sedimet regie, aesthetics ad groudwater. A Sythesis Report of the results from all the pilots was prepared ad is available o Coservatio Otario s website: Iovatios i Water Maagemet Four pilot projects were completed i 2005 as phase 2 of a series of Watershed-based Pilot Projects, a partership with Coservatio Otario, the Otario Miistry of the Eviromet ad the Otario Miistry of Natural Resources. The projects looked for o the groud results ad focused o the implemetatio ad techical issues that practitioers may face whe implemetig drikig water source protectio. Eight Coservatio Authorities participated i these projects. The projects icluded: A Assessmet of Data Requiremets ad Availability for Source Water Protectio A guide was developed to assist practitioers idetify ad locate suitable data required for source water protectio plaig as well as to recogize data gaps. It also idetifies other data maagemet issues that affect data availability ad accessibility which practitioers should be aware ad prepared to address through collaboratios. Nutriet Maagemet Summary Report ad CANWET User s Guide This project preseted a leadig edge computer modelig tool to assist resource maagers to predict chages i water quality associated with huma activities ad altered ladscapes as well as to evaluate the implemetatio of agricultural ad urba pollutio reductio practices. The model is updated o a ogoig basis ad is provided to practitioers who register for these updates. Improvig Access to Water Resource Iformatio i Agricultural Watersheds The project preseted the results of a study that explored differet ways to deliver water related iformatio to a rural audiece. It evaluates each method s effectiveess, cost/beefits ad cosideratios for implemetatio. A prototype website was developed to test web effectiveess. Surface Water Quality Threat Assessmet Method Usig Ladscapebased Idexig The Watershed Sciece Cetre at the Uiversity of Tret coducted this pilot project ad focused o the developmet of methods, data layers, models ad tools to predict baseflow characteristics ad potetial utriet loadig at ugauged sites. The full results from the four pilot projects are featured o Coservatio Otario s website ad were profiled at the 2005 A.D. Latorell Coservatio Symposium. Coservatio Otario cotiues to trasfer the results of the projects to the larger commuity.

6 Commuicatios Throughout 2005, Coservatio Otario desiged ad implemeted its corporate commuicatios strategy aroud the mai priorities of source water protectio ad watershed stewardship. Healthy Watersheds Through Educatio Coservatio Otario developed a variety of commuicatio tools to demystify some of the more techical cocepts ad terms aroud source water protectio. Uderstadig how our watersheds work ad how Coservatio Authorities help to maage iflueces o our water sources is key to uderstadig the importace of source water protectio ad beig able to take actios to protect our water resources. Rural ladowers, muicipalities, Coservatio Authorities ad other local stakeholders will play a key role i mappig out the best approach to protectig water i Otario. Coservatio Otario s commuicatio products are desiged to assist people to uderstad the sciece so that they ca make good decisios. Healthy Waters Healthy Commuities 2006 Caledar Coservatio Otario produced a 2006 caledar i partership with Fisheries ad Oceas Caada ad Otario Stewardship (Miistry of Natural Resources). It provides iformatio aroud topics such as water, watershed stewardship, watersheds, climate chage, wetlads, healthy fish habitat, ad the Great Lakes. SWP Workshop i a Box Toolkit is a toolkit that provides materials ad resources eeded to lear or deliver a workshop about the basics of water ad source water protectio. Additioal modules are costatly beig added as iformatio is available. Coservatio Otario also offers a variety of brochures, watershed illustratios, fact sheets ad brochures, all available o the website. Lauch of New Coservatio Otario Website Coservatio Otario lauched its updated website i The ew site offers: Importat iformatio o key issues such as source water protectio, watershed stewardship ad regulatig activities which affect our watersheds Commuicatio toolkits, brochures ad maps History, iformatio ad liks to all of Otario s Coservatio Authorities News, Features ad Special Projects Coservatio Otario s website is a great source of iformatio about Coservatio Authorities ad the issues that are importat to maagig Otario s watersheds. Healthy Waters Healthy Commuities Watershed Practitioers Network at the A.D. Latorell Coservatio Symposium Coservatio Otario co-hosted the 12 th aual Arthur D. Latorell Coservatio Symposium with the Uiversity of Guelph. This popular evet provides a forum for practitioers, studets, academics, politicias, ad ogovermet orgaizatios to etwork ad discuss challeges ad opportuities i the coservatio field i Otario as well as lear about ew tools, techiques ad strategies for atural resources maagemet. The theme for the 2005 evet, Healthy Waters Healthy Commuities, explored the importat liks betwee water ad health across differet sectors. This year also marked the fifth aiversary of the Walkerto drikig water tragedy. Guest speakers icluded the ew Miister of the Eviromet, Laurel Brote, Otario s Evirometal Commissioer Gord Miller, Presidet of the Otario Federatio of Agriculture, Ro Boett ad 14-year-old Rya Hreljac, fouder of Rya s Wells, a o profit orgaizatio that brigs clea drikig water to Africa commuities. Pioeer Award Wiers Each year, the Symposium recogizes five people who have made sigificat cotributios to coservatio i Otario. For 2005, they icluded: Do Lobb, Dr. Gray Merriam, David Pearso, Athoy Smith ad Be Vaderbrug. Coservatio ONTARIO Natural Champi os Coservatio Otario P.O. Box 11, 120 Bayview Parkway Newmarket ON L3Y 4W3 tel: , fax: ifo@coservatio-otario.o.ca